The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1887-09-24

tered. Was 1T true! was tnere no
chance for her even to know happiness
againa Was she never to have any one
ITO be happy forp" Some one had
once suggested to her to adopt child;
but she had recoiled from the idea as
from dagger thrust. She felt that she
could not put the child of any one else
in the place once occupied by her own.
1t seemed to her that it would be
treachery to the dead.
There was a sudden jar, and the
train stopped. Five minutes later the
passengers were informed that there
had been an accident to the engine
which would involve delay of several
hours.
There was nothing to do but make
the best of it. The passengers all got
out of the cars and began to wander
about in the fields; and what with
laughing and grumbling. and explana-
tons sbout the accident, they soon be-
came acquainted with each other.
But Mrs. Escott did not mingle with
her companions in misfortune. She
walked away by herself, and seeing q
small farm house about half mile dis
tant, concluded to go there and ask for
a glass of milk.
The house was small frame building
with neat flower garden in front; a
vegetable garden at one side enclosed
with paling fence, and an orchard at
the back. A woman was drawing water
at a well under an old oak tree. and
when she heard Mrs. Escott's account
of the accident. she invited her very
cordially to enter the house and rest
herself.
The small sitting-room was very
poorly furnished. but every thing was
neat and clean. Mrs. Escott looked
about her with languid interest. half
smile on her delicate, aristocratic face
This woman. she thought, probably
found the days all too short for her
needs She was a busy woman, of
course. and had hands and heart for
all the time. The room gave evidence
of this. for on the center table was q
work-basket heaped with garments re-
curing mending, on chair lay a half
finished yarn sock with the needles in
it, and in cradle in one corner lay
sleeping child of about year old.
Suddenly Mrs. Escott gave slight
start, and look of surprise came on
her face. She rose, and. crossing the
room, looked earnestly at the photo
graph of a man, which, framed in var
nished pine cones, hung on the opposite
wall. Yes, there could be no mistake;
it was surely the face of Rev. Mr.. Barry,
whose sermon she bad found SO tedious.
That's my brother" said the woman
Of the house in tone of pride, as she
came in with small waiter on which
was a pitcher of rich milk, goblet, a
slice of warm bread. and diminutive
pat of butter. Hes minister down
to Brentwood, about twenty miles from
here. Perhaps you've been there? It's
right smart of town. Rufus he was
real pleased with it when he first went
there, and mother m me we calculated
he was fixed for life. But lately we
amt been easy in our minds about
him."
She took the work-basket from the
table, and set down the waiter.
''Now you can eat real comfortable,
an it'll do you good" she said.
'Thank you; and while eat you can
tell me more about your brother. He
is q minister, you say7''
Eyes. Mother m we made up our
minds from the first that Rufus was cut
out for a minister. He seemed to take
to it real natural. 1t cost something
to fit him for it! Seemed sometimes as
If we couldn't pull through. You
wouldn't believe how we worked! We
lived down to Jonesboro' then, m
owned our own house. It wasn't much
Of house." with little laugh, ssbut
it did well enough for us. / went to
school till / was eleven, m then /
turned in m helped mother sew. That
was all the schooling ever had. for l
never had time to 60 any more, we had
to work and pinch SO to keep Rufe at
college. I've seen the time 1 didn't
have new dress for three years hand
running. But didn't mind it much,
for never had chance to run around
much, like most young folks. And
Rufe was the best boy ever lived! 1t
wasn't no sacrifice to work for him.
Well. we got him through at last, m he
got a call to Brentwood. First thing he
did was to get married, m to help him
along mother m me we sold the house.
He'd been engaged to Mary Hal
pine for going on four years, an it was
natural that he should want to marry
her soon's he could. Besides. the con-
grogation seemed to think he'd osx0hf